U.S. patent number 5,741,103 [Application Number 08/792,755] was granted by the patent office on 1998-04-21 for securing structure for air valves.
Invention is credited to Ching-Jong Lee.
United States Patent |
5,741,103 |
Lee |
April 21, 1998 |
Securing structure for air valves
Abstract
An improved securing structure for air valves including a nut
being a tapered hexagonal rod structure for use with suitable
wrenches. The nut has a projecting configuration to prevent the
problem with the prior art in which the nut cannot be properly
tightened or loosened when the nut is positioned too near the rim
of the tire.
Inventors: |
Lee; Ching-Jong (Tainan,
TW) |
Family
ID: |
25157966 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/792,755 |
Filed: |
February 4, 1997 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
411/366.1;
137/223; 411/410; 411/427 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60B
21/00 (20130101); Y10T 137/3584 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
B60B
21/00 (20060101); F16B 035/06 (); F16B
037/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;411/3-5,185,186,427,429,410,366 ;137/223 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wilson; Neill R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Varndell Legal Group
Claims
I claim:
1. An air valve stem and nut assembly for tires comprising a
threaded valve stem and nut having interior threads and threaded on
the valve stem and adapted to tighten the air valve stem within a
hole arranged on a rim of a wheel, the nut having a bottom with a
large nut section, a middle with an intermediate nut section and a
top with a small nut section; the small, intermediate and large nut
sections arranged along an axial direction of the nut; a diameter
of the large nut section is greater that a diameter of the small
nut section, and the intermediate nut section has a gradient
diameter increasing from the small nut section to the large nut
section and beginning with a diameter matching the diameter of the
small nut section and ending with a diameter matching the diameter
of the large nut section, and
the small, intermediate and large nut sections respectively having
an identical number of sides and corners adapted to receive an
opening of a wrench for turning the nut; and respective corners of
the small, intermediate and large nut sections are arranged to
intersect a plane passing through the axis of the nut.
2. An air valve stem and nut assembly for tires comprising a
threaded valve stem and nut having interior threads and threaded on
the valve stem and adapted to tighten the air valve stem within a
hole arranged on a rim of a wheel, the nut having a bottom with a
large nut section, a middle with an intermediate nut section and a
top with a small nut section; the small, intermediate and large nut
sections arranged along an axial direction of the nut; a diameter
of the large nut section is greater that a diameter of the small
nut section, and the intermediate nut section has a gradient
diameter increasing from the small nut section to the large nut
section and beginning with a diameter matching the diameter of the
small nut section and ending with a diameter matching the of the
large nut section, and
the small, intermediate and large nut sections respectively having
an identical number of sides and corners adapted to receive an
opening of a wrench for turning the nut; and respective corners of
the small, intermediate and large nut sections are arranged at
identical angular orientations relative to a radius of the nut.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a and more particularly
to a nut for locking an air valve of tires.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Conventional wheel rims are made of alloys. Since the outer side of
the rim has a curved flange, the installation of air valves and the
locking of nuts thereon is not easy with an ordinary wrench.
Therefore, a rubber air valve is developed. The rubber air valve
includes a tightening seat. By pulling a rubber seat of the air
valve outwardly from the rim, the seat may be fastened to the rim.
However, the air valve thus installed may shake and become
loosened, and air leakage may easily result.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the rubber air valve is secured by
means of pulling and subsequent tightening. The air valve may
easily become disengaged, and air leakage may occur when subjected
to shock. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate two other prior air valves which
are locked by means of nuts. However, as the nut is positioned too
near the rim (see FIG. 4), it is likely to sink into the
counter-sunken hole of the rim, thus obstructing use of a nut
driver with a chuck sleeve to tighten the nuts. Furthermore, the
projecting flange of the rim may obstruct use of a combination
wrench as well. The cause is this problem is that the nut is
enclosed by the rim.
In brief, the prior art illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 have the
drawbacks that the air valves cannot be firmly secured in position
after installation. The air valve may easily become loosened to
result in air leakage. Whereas, with the prior art illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4, although the air valve may be secured in place after
installation with the use of the nut, the relative position of the
nut and the rim may obstruct use of ordinary wrenches.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An primary object of the present invention is to provide a nut for
locking an air valve of tires, which may be tightened to secure the
air valve firmly in position to prevent air leakage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a prior rubber air valve in use;
FIG. 2 is schematic sectional view of the prior rubber air valve in
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another prior air valve in use;
FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the prior air valve of FIG.
3;
FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded view of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the present invention in use;
FIG. 8 is a schematic exploded view of another preferred embodiment
of the present invention; and
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of FIG.
8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to FIG. 5, a nut 1 may be divided into three
sections, namely, a large nut section 11 of about 13 mm, a small
nut section 12 of about 12 mm, and an intermediate nut section 13
of about 13 mm connecting the large nut section 11 and the small
nut section 12. The nut 1 is provided with a through screw hole 14.
By means of this design, the nut 1 is substantially projecting and
is prevented from getting to close to the rim, which may obstruct
tightening of the nut 1. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, when the large
nut section 11 is too near the rim, the user may instead tighten
the nut by applying any kind of wrenches to the intermediate nut
section 13 or the small nut section 12. Furthermore, as the
precision in manufacturing wrenches is not always consistent, in
order to prevent ineffective tightening of the nuts due to
differences in precision of the tool, the intermediate nut section
13 of a size between the large nut section 11 and the small nut
section 12 provides a solution.
In the present invention, as air valves may be secured at the rim
by nuts, the problem with rubber air valves, i.e., the air valve
may become loosened to result in air leakage, may be eliminated.
Besides, since the nut 1 according to the present invention has
three different parts of three different sizes and since the nut 1
is configured to project upwardly slightly, a combination wrench
may easily hold and turn the nut 1. And when the wrench is not made
with a high precision, the wrench may hold the intermediate nut
section 13 to tighten or loosen the nut 1.
FIGS. 8 and 9 show another preferred embodiment of the present
invention, in which the intermediate nut section 13 is
eliminated.
In summary, the nut according to the present invention allows firm
mounting of air valves to prevent loosening or air leakage. The
height of the nut is also increased to prevent the rim from
obstruction use of wrenches to tighten or loosen the nut. Besides,
a greater variety of wrenches may be used with the nut of the
invention.
Although the present invention has been illustrated and described
with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it should be
understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such
embodiment but is capable of numerous modifications within the
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *